In today's fast-paced professional world, nothing is more important than networking. Our three-part series, "The Networking Playbook," will help you make an unforgettable first impression that can lead to lasting opportunities and relationships. Whether you're a seasoned pro or just stepping into the field, mastering these networking strategies will give you the confidence and know-how to make every interaction count.

Part 1: Suit Up

Yes, you do need to watch what you wear and make sure that it is appropriate for any given situation. However, most of the networking heavy lifting today does not involve in-person meetings. While actual fashionable suits are cool, we are not talking about your clothes!

Dress Up Your Resume

Before you even THINK of networking for a job, make sure that your resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile are in good working order. After all, the very first thing you will do when you connect with someone is send them your LinkedIn invitation. If your job searching documents don't present you in the right light, how can they understand what you are all about?

Personal branding is still a critical and relevant tool for your job search. What it really comes down to is a consistent message across all your documents. Even if you are in a confidential job search or are trying to pivot into a new field, there are ways to write a LinkedIn profile that supports your current role while crafting a resume that reflects your new goals.

Suit Up on LinkedIn

Is your LinkedIn profile geared to your target job? Is it clear about what you want or the types of connections you hope to make? Is it a stale, boring summary followed by a dry work history?

All of these can be improved by implementing a conscious design to your profile.

Summaries (now titled your "About" section) should be a personal statement, not just a boring repetition of your resume. (Seriously, it seems like everybody on LinkedIn is calling themselves a "results-oriented professional.”)  Online networking is about making personal connections – that means your profile should sound like a person. Give people a feel for who you are, what you want, and why you're here.

Work experience is usually more abbreviated and focused on the most relevant achievements, responsibilities, and outcomes. The idea is to gain enough interest that someone would want to contact you, not to give them every single detail. You want to entice the reader to reach out and ask for your full resume.

Suit Up Your Messages

Call me old school, but sometimes I pick up the phone and actually call people. Yes, like with my voice and words and everything. Yes, I will leave you a voicemail. Yes, I will judge you based on your voicemail greeting.

Guess who else does? Recruiters, connections, and new people you meet.

Make sure that your voicemail greeting sounds professional and that you actually listen to your messages. (Like I said, old school.)

But the modern version of messaging is critically important. Thanks to AI, you can easily create a bank of standardized messages that still sound authentic that you can use when you reach out to other people on LinkedIn. Using some standard prompts saves you from the "analysis paralysis" of trying to think of the perfect message before you reach out to a potential contact.

Suit Up Your Networking Groups

Social media should not be your only source of networking – you need to get out of your house and meet people face-to-face. Or at least Zoom camera to Zoom camera. Not only that, you need to be involved in a variety of different types of groups.

Most job seekers think of the obvious – job search networking groups, such as the Brown Bag Job Search Group that we run. (Check it out here: https://www.meetup.com/brown-bag-job-search-group/) Some of these are local, while others are not limited by geography. While these are important for mutual support and educational options, it is still only a part of the groups you need.

We highly encourage people to get involved in professional associations that reflect their desired careers, especially if they want to break into a new field. Here's a great starting list of 57 potential associations from Indeed, including how to leverage them on your resume. (https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/resumes-cover-letters/professional-association). If you want to really open the floodgates, check out the Directory of Associations (https://directoryofassociations.com/) You can search through the database for free, but if you want to export the lists, the rate is pretty reasonable.

Finally, consider actual social groups. These can be for dog lovers, hikers, movie buffs, or even sports fanatics. Not only will you increase your connections, but you can also have some fun as well. To be effective in a job search means allowing time for fun as well. And besides – you never know who you're going to meet.

Need help getting suited up?

Never fear! Whether you need that well-crafted resume or if you need help pinpointing your networking strategies, our Down & Dirty Job Search covers everything you need for the modern job search. Check it out here:

https://www.personaltouchcareerservices.com/down-dirty-job-search